Freshman Sabrina Southerland ran her best leg of the season to help Cardozo win at the adidas Grand Prix Saturday. Photo: Denis Gostev

Chamique Francis couldn’t tell quite how fast teammate Sabrina Southerland was going. The talented Benjamin Cardozo freshman is a distance runner and has been adapting to running 400 meters all season, but her leg clearly became a special one as the handoff drew closer.

“She is such a relaxed runner,” Francis said. “I can never really tell if she is coming faster than before. When I saw her closing the gap and coming closer and closer and closer to me and moving further and further away from everyone else I started to getting happy.”

That’s because Southerland, after her best split time of the season, handed Cardozo its first lead, one it would not relinquish. The Judges team of Lateisha Philson, Ahtyana Johnson, Southerland and Francis won the invitational-only 4 x 400 relay in a state-best time of 3:40.85 at the adidas Grand Prix at Ichan Stadium Saturday. They beat their previous time of 3:41.62. It was already tops in the state and second fastest in the country. Dozo also won the race at last year’s Grand Prix.

“I didn’t see it coming at all,” Southerland said…”I was really surprised because I didn’t feel like I was going that fast.”

One person who wasn’t surprised was assistant coach Ray James. He said Southerland, who runs the 800 and the mile mostly, responded well to speed workouts at practice early this week. Because of her distance background, she gets stronger as the race goes on. She ran her 400 in 55.6, a two second improvement.

“I think it’s easier, because I usually run distance,” Southerland said.

Cardozo needed that with Philson still feeling the effects of a tight hamstring after cramping at the PSAL city championships last weekend. Johnson ran an inspired second leg, getting the Judges back into second behind Columbus’ Whitney Fountain running for Team Bickle, for whom Claudia and Phyllis Francis did not run. Then Southerland, usually the leg where the Judges fall behind, gave Francis, who ran her leg in 53.4, a cushion to work with. Medgar Evers squad of Kadecia Baird, Rachel Leeke, Shakle Seaton and Nyanka Moise was fifth in 3:52.46 in a field that also included Jamaican power Holmwood Tech.

“Most of my races when I get the baton first I always feel like someone is going to catch me,” Francis, the state leader in the event, said. “That is why I run so fast.”

Added James: “No one was gaining on her. She just took it on in…That’s our stud right there.”

Southerland said the win gives the team confidence going into Nike Nationals in Eugene, Oregon July 2, where the team feels 3:37 isn’t out of the question. Her improvement is a big reason why

“It was the most important leg,” James said. “She brought us from second to first.”